LeBron James masterclass elevates Lakers in battle of LA

LeBron James catapulted the Lakers to a 116-122 victory on Wednesday night versus a hot Clipper team. This was due a total collapse from the Clippers blowing a 19-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The victory was the first time since April 4, 2005 that the Lakers overcame a 19-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter. They also have won the season series 3-1 against their cross-town rivals.

Before the Clippers meltdown, things were looking grim for the Lakers heading into the fourth quarter, and really for the previous three quarters.

The first and second quarters were all Clippers, getting offensive rebounds and creating turnovers which led to transition points. 

In the third quarter, the Lakers cut the lead to nine before Ty Lue called a timeout to end any life of a comeback the Lakers might have had. The Clippers would respond by going on a 10-1 run coming out of the break, stretching the lead all the way to 19. 

That’s when LeBron decided to take the game into his own hands. He led the Lake Show on a dominant 37-10 run behind five of eight from deep. He would also have 19 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter.

LeBron was asked about his mindset during these hot stretches he has late in games. “I was just in the zone, when you feel like everything you’re putting up is going in, I kept it consistent, I tried to dictate the tempo, dictate the game…it’s like a superpower,” he said. 

The Lakers are in trouble if they need these superhuman performances from LeBron on a nightly basis. At 39 years of age, the Lakers desperately need to get back to getting their role players involved.

LeBron hinted that his supporting cast is monumental to their success, “It’s great that we can lean on our guys, and I feel like their very comfortable making a play over the course of a game.”

In what sounds like a broken record, the Lakers continue to get off to sluggish starts and trail big heading into halftime. If it weren’t for a historic performance from LeBron and a Clipper catastrophe, they would have lost again due to poor rebounding and lethargic defense. 

The purple and gold play the Wizards on the second night of a back-to-back Thursday evening. It may be a chance for them to get their groove back against a team that is tied for the worst record in the league.

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